The biggest news affecting the company was released today. It shook the world, and I found out via a facebook status update. So did most of my colleagues – who read it on google news, yahoo news, facebook as well.

Sure, there’s some corridor chatter, and water-cooler talks, but it’s strangely quiet and calm – no word/email from corporate. A normal day at work. Everyone’s huddled at their work station, continuing with the daily grind. Life goes on. Stuff still needs to be done.

But I guess that’s how it’s supposed to be, isn’t it?

His biggest legacy was not in building the best products, but in creating a system and institutionalizing processes that can continue to run even without him at the control button.

If we had all descended into chaos today, I think I would have been more afraid and he would have failed as a leader.

I was really lucky once again to receive tickets to the National Day Parade this year. The view from the floating platform is beautiful, with the completed Marina Bay Sands building. However, I still feel a sense of unease with a casino (okay, integrated resort) being such a distinctive part of the Singapore skyline.

The segment of the parade which I always enjoyed the most was the military display, with our F15s planes, Apache helicopters, coast guard vessels, and the guards march-past. I still do. I’m sure it’s part of a grand strategy to remind the world we have one the most sophisticated (and expensive) pieces of metals to blast the enemies even though we are small. But it’s nice to see these traditions being parade evergreens. I don’t really care much for the songs and dances that change year after year. I usually forget about them “in a heartbeat”. [Theme song for the 2011 parade is coincidentally named “In a heartbeat”.]

Any reason why we had to use so much pop songs from Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and Katy Perry to stir the crowds? It’s the nation’s birthday, for goodness sake. Bring back the national day songs.

It was nice for that one day to see all Singaporeans coming together to embrace Singapore as home. But I really don’t think the nation has fully recovered from the effects of the May elections. We are still a very divided society, even more so this year with the added fault-line of political opinions. The political fault-line was always there of course, but it was simmering below the surface, not visible, at least not until this year. Somehow, National Day this year felt like a respite…the calm before the Presidential Elections storm.

Read Techcrunch: Mr. Cinical concludes I’m a newly-inducted geek, since I can now sprout the technical difference between OS Snow Leopard and Lion. Have you heard about reverse scrolling? 🙂

Scan through SG Car Mart: Hmm, still in 2 minds about getting one. And even so, should I choose a car of my lemming, or a zippy one that gets me from Point A to B, since I only have a “functional income” (phrase credited to Audrey)? Did I mention that I now watch Top Gear too?

Watch MasterChef Australia: I love this show! It’s showing every weeknight on Starworld at 1045pm. I’m even more inspired to sign up for a cooking/baking class. Time to use the voucher from my ex-colleagues at Shermay Lee’s cooking school.

Read: I rediscovered my love for fiction, specifically of thrillers from Tess Gerritsen and John Grisham. I like chick-lit, but I can only take *that* much whining from the characters. Let’s see, I finished 4 thrillers in the past 2 weeks and I’m craving for more!

In other news… I have managed to wheedle a supplementary credit card from Mr. Cinical, after many many years of dating and marriage. Audrey reckons I should use it on the car…Good idea. 🙂

18 days in and I have slowly gotten more familiar with the new workplace, for instance:

Knowing how the computer worked (typing “command + C” as opposed to “control + C” if I want to copy a phrase in the document);

Knowing the places that each unmarked door leads in the maze-like layout with the long corridors (the building used to be a factory);

The limited lunch options and the in-house cafe that’s rather expensive (but a life-saver for the rainy days);

The concept of the “smart casual” work attire all day, everyday. “Smart casual” is a misnomer here, this phrase translates better into “come whatever you are comfortable with”. I have seen co-workers dressed up to the nines in their maxi-dresses, or constantly pushing the boundaries of workplace dressing, complete with bermudas, grubby T-shirts and thong-slippers. No one bats an eyelid as to what you wear. It’s liberating, this freedom.

But I’m not yet in that comfort zone, where you can know instinctively how to react to emails and situations. A new colleague (who’s been around for the past 6 months) assured me that it took her a long time, around 3-4 months to get used to the working culture here, whereas it usually takes around a month or less in her other workplaces.